Thai police have charged a freight train driver with negligence after a collision with a public bus at a railway crossing in Bangkok killed eight people and injured 32.
The crash happened on Saturday near Bangkok's Airport Rail Link Makkasan station, when a freight train carrying containers struck a bus trapped on the tracks at a red light, sparking a fire that engulfed the vehicle and nearby cars and motorcycles.
"The train driver has been charged with negligence causing death, as evidence clearly indicates reckless conduct leading to fatalities," Urumporn Koondejsumrit, head of Makkasan police station, told Reuters on Sunday.
Police said the bus driver would also face charges but has not yet been questioned because he is still in hospital.
Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat said preliminary findings showed the bus had blocked the crossing, preventing safety barriers from closing before the train arrived.
Videos shared on social media showed the train ploughing into the bus and dragging vehicles along the tracks as flames spread through the wreckage.
Authorities said the site had been cleared and rail services restored, while officials pledged tighter safety measures at rail crossings following the crash.
Thailand's roads are among the world's deadliest, according to the World Health Organisation, owing to lax enforcement of safety standards.
